Michael D. VanPelt, DPM – Texas (incumbent)

Dr. VanPelt is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Dr. William H. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at the Rosalind Franklin University Health Science Center, North Chicago, IL. He is board certified in Foot Surgery and in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology at The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He received a DPM degree from the Dr. William H. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at the Rosalind Franklin University Health Science Center, North Chicago, IL, and received the college’s Dr. Harold Feder Orthopaedic Award.
Dr. VanPelt completed a PM&S-36 residency training program at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, and a one-year Sports Medicine and Surgery Fellowship at Barry University in Miami Shores, FL. After his fellowship, he was recruited to UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and was the department’s first podiatric foot and ankle surgeon with a faculty appointment. He has been a full-time faculty member at UT Southwestern since 2007.

He was named the Texas Podiatric Medical Association Young Practitioner of the Year and he continues to serve on several TPMA committees. He is a former President of the Dallas County Podiatric Medical Society and serves on the TPMA Board of Directors. He serves on the ABFAS Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle CBPS committee, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgery, and a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Statement

I would like to serve on the Board of Directors to help the ABFAS improve, maintain, and continue to set standards consistent with those of our counterparts in the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). It is my hope that this will ensure a fair podiatric surgery board certification process that stands beside those of our peers in other medical specialties and subspecialties. Our aim is parity; therefore, we must sustain a credentialing standard for board certification that is not only respected by our peers, but is also accepted by all hospitals. The ABMS’ motto is “Higher Standards and Better Care.” We, too, should work to achieve this goal.

I hope to bring to the Board of Directors the perspective of a podiatric surgeon who trained and practices in a university system. My goal is to collaborate with practitioners from around the country to bolster professional development of ABFAS-certified physicians throughout their career, and to support residents and new practitioners by providing a certification process based on current standards of postgraduate training and patient care in our ever-changing medical landscape. We will do this through a continual process of improving the educational requirement and the peer evaluation and examination process.

I thank those who have supported me and continue to support me as I hope to continue to support you as a member of the board of directors.